“I’ll trade you. The keys for a cup of coffee. Inside.”
“Forget it.”
“Why? Are you afraid to be alone with me?”
“Don’t you have a game to go to?”
He nodded and moved closer, watching her eyes darken as he did. “I have to be at the arena, suited up, in less than an hour. Which means I’ve got ten minutes, max, before I have to make tracks. Ten minutes, Emily. What could happen in ten minutes?”
She met his gaze for the longest moment, her own quietly searching, then closed her eyes and sighed, as if exhausted. “Would you just leave, Eric? Take your car and go? Please?”
He saw what it cost her to say please, and didn’t like the way it made him feel. But more was at stake here than transitory feelings. Something was happening between them. Something he wasn’t about to ignore—and he wasn’t about to let her ignore it either.
“After I kiss you.”
She stepped back as if he were going to steal one right there in the driveway. “No.”
“This isn’t an impulse, Emily,” he said, forcing himself to stay put when his instincts led him to follow her. It’s something I’ve thought about almost constantly since we met. To be honest, I want to do a lot more than just kiss you, but—”
Shaking her head, she backed up another step and lifted a hand. “No.”
Before she could turn away, Eric slowly, deliberately and carefully stepped forward. Just as carefully he reached up and gently wrapped his fingers around her upheld hand. He wanted her to see him coming. If she resisted at all, he’d release her and leave immediately.
His heart thudded hard as she went perfectly still.
Slowly, he drew her hand to his chest. “As I was saying, I’d like to do a whole lot more than kiss you, but it’s kind of hard to make love to a woman who’s always pushing you away.”
She looked up at him, clearly confused. Eric took heart. Confusion beat rejection any day of the week. “Please don’t push me away any more, Emily. I won’t hurt you. I swear it.” He splayed her palm across his heart, pounding inside his open jacket. “Can’t you feel what you do to me?”
“Forget it.”
“Why? Are you afraid to be alone with me?”
“Don’t you have a game to go to?”
He nodded and moved closer, watching her eyes darken as he did. “I have to be at the arena, suited up, in less than an hour. Which means I’ve got ten minutes, max, before I have to make tracks. Ten minutes, Emily. What could happen in ten minutes?”
She met his gaze for the longest moment, her own quietly searching, then closed her eyes and sighed, as if exhausted. “Would you just leave, Eric? Take your car and go? Please?”
He saw what it cost her to say please, and didn’t like the way it made him feel. But more was at stake here than transitory feelings. Something was happening between them. Something he wasn’t about to ignore—and he wasn’t about to let her ignore it either.
“After I kiss you.”
She stepped back as if he were going to steal one right there in the driveway. “No.”
“This isn’t an impulse, Emily,” he said, forcing himself to stay put when his instincts led him to follow her. It’s something I’ve thought about almost constantly since we met. To be honest, I want to do a lot more than just kiss you, but—”
Shaking her head, she backed up another step and lifted a hand. “No.”
Before she could turn away, Eric slowly, deliberately and carefully stepped forward. Just as carefully he reached up and gently wrapped his fingers around her upheld hand. He wanted her to see him coming. If she resisted at all, he’d release her and leave immediately.
His heart thudded hard as she went perfectly still.
Slowly, he drew her hand to his chest. “As I was saying, I’d like to do a whole lot more than kiss you, but it’s kind of hard to make love to a woman who’s always pushing you away.”
She looked up at him, clearly confused. Eric took heart. Confusion beat rejection any day of the week. “Please don’t push me away any more, Emily. I won’t hurt you. I swear it.” He splayed her palm across his heart, pounding inside his open jacket. “Can’t you feel what you do to me?”
Liana Laverentz
5 comments:
Eric is so sweet and I hope he sticks with her even though she's scared. They seem like they'd be great together.
joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com
I'm adding this to my TBR pile.
this is true love story congrat on the book
Love the part about the keys. I'm that absent minded. My husband has to think like me to figure out where I've lost things. I drop them wherever I go.
Thank you so much, everyone, and yes, this is a "true love" story :)
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